retired_karamelkel

With that, the season was over and I could relax for a couple of weeks. However, big things were afoot in the US. The congressional midterms were coming up in November of 2002. The six friends who had started this venture in early 2000 and who had not seen each other since that fateful meeting decided to meet once again in early May to plan strategy. Since we were split among Britain, Holland and Italy, we met somewhere completely neutral, Spain. We would have met in the US, but we ended up rejecting that idea because we figured we were on some Homeland Security list or another. Spain was a reasonable compromise as it was easy to travel to and most of the six would not have to change currency. What a difference the EU has made in the area of mobility. If nothing else, Europeans are now more able than ever to go any place at any time on the continent. We assembled in a quiet inn in the center of Spain.

At first, the conversation was light small talk, focusing on how we were all doing in our various enterprises. For my part, I gave a quick run-down of the American Exiles FC. Finishing in the top ten of the Conference as an “expansion” franchise was really remarkable, a testament to how well our youngsters and veterans had gelled. Then the conversation turned to a far more serious topic, politics. The real subject of the meeting. Given how well Bush had handled the recent events of September 11, we knew there was no bloody way that the Republicans were going to lose Congress. They were too formidable a machine, which spoke volumes about their minority status in the past. The conservative revolution had taken shape when the GOP had lost control of the House of Representatives in 1952 along with the Senate. In addition, the President, Eisenhower proved to be a lukewarm Republican, a man who put practicality ahead of ideology. Faced with the prospect of losing everything in politics, a small coterie of Republican intelligentsia (yes, they do exist, they just don’t show themselves to the party base) set about reshaping the party. They articulated a platform that contained a radically different platform than the Democrats. Over the next few decades, as the Republicans remained a minority party, they developed the tactics that enable a minority party to achieve goals, namely tight political discipline and an unwillingness to negotiate core party principles. The Republicans received a gift in 1964 when southern Democrats left the party over the Civil Rights Bill. Though few Democrats in 2002 would be willing to admit it, the fact remains that the Democrats retained control of politics because they relied on the Southern block. Once civil rights were made law, this wing of the party bolted to the GOP, who welcomed them with open arms and used them to fashion a new conservative e ideology. The GOP made steady gains over the couple of decades, but was set back by scandals that beset Nixon and Reagan. Then, the roof fell in on the Democrats in the late 80’s as their own corruption was revealed. Their coalition finally fell in 1994 when the Republicans seized the House and Senate. Once they took the majority, the GOP used the minority discipline they had developed and used it to make sweeping changes. That trend was not going to change in 2002. So, our mission at this meeting was to see if we could come up with a way to gradually regain power. The problem was that national security was the issue in this upcoming election and the Democrats had no creditability on the issue. In truth, the only way the Democrats were going to regain power was if they could regain the conservatives they had lost, and with people like Nancy Pelosi, Tom Daschle and Howard Dean running the party, that was not likely to happen. After some desultory comments, we broke up the meeting and headed our separate ways once more.

retired_karamelkel

We received 80,000 pounds for finishing seventh in the league. Rochdale would join the Conference from the League next year and Forest Green would drop down with Leigh and Aldershot into lower league obscurity. Once the season ended, the first task was to jettison a few players from the first team who had done zilch this season. That meant Cooley, Thomas, Ward, Lyne and Dallas were let go as was, in a surprise move, Purcell. Once that was done, I looked at our reserve stats and videotape to figure out whether any of them were ready for the show next season. Then we set up the youth training schedule for the summer. Looking at the reserves, we figured there were about four players, Skelly, Fennelly, Wade and Elliot were penciled in for next years first tea that left right back and center back open for new veteran signees. Of course, if my scouts any good cheap player, U would sign him. About all I had left to do for the early part of the off-season was to send my scouts out to look for players in anticipation of the transfer deadline being lifted. We also went looking for a new goalkeeper coach. The day after Liverpool won the Premier Division, Darren Beattie joined us as one of the goalkeeper coach. In other finals, Inter won the UEFA Cup, Woking won the FA Trophy, and Juve beat Milan on penalties to win the Champions League.

The scouts quickly fanned out through the Isles and it wasn’t long before we struck gold. The Ireland scout called with a glowing report on a 20 yr old named Sean Moran. It appeared that the young lad had blazing speed and passing ability. He had apparently never played with a pro team. My scout saw him at a University game and reported back that the kid, if signed, would challenge Howard for the AMC spot. When I saw the tape of Mr. Moran, I turned into a true believer. We offered the Irish lad a contract immediately. The Conference end of year awards came in. Jimmy Quinn, the Shrewsbury manager, on the MOY. Oddly enough, Browne and Asser won the May POM award. We signed Moran, who would report on June 4 when the deadline lifted.

June brought with it the board update. They were happy with my performance as manager, but were distressed by our finances, which had now exceeded “safe debt” once again. We were now over 350K pints in debt. When the deadline passed, Moran joined us. I hadn’t decided where he would play yet, but he was definitely on the first team. As might be expected, all soccer business ceased while the World Cup was being played. My scouts were continuing to find good young players and we signed a couple and short-listed others. In the middle of June, the fans voted for the Supporters play of the year, naming Howard as their man. That was the official end of the 01/02 season.

retired_karamelkel

The 02/03 season started nicely as we received 100,000 pounds for TV rights. We needed that money to help cut our debt and I was hoping that with season ticket revenue, we would be able to purchase players again. The four new teams in the Conference for this season were Canvey Island, Halesowen, Rochdale and Southport. Hayes told me that the board would be happy if we managed to avoid relegation. Me, I was aiming for a top five finish. I wasn’t sure we had the players to win the Conference, but I did feel we were good enough to finish high in the standings. On Saturday the 22 of June, I called around to set up a preseason exhibition schedule set to begin on August 1. The idea was to play four matches, two home, two away to give the first team games and to help establish the regular lineup for the season. I knew who I wanted on the first team, but I wasn’t sure who would be the regulars. None of the League sides were willing to play us, so I turned to non-league competition. The friendly schedule would be as followed: Aug 1- Away at AFC Wimbledon, Aug 4, home against Nuneaton Borough, Aug 7 away at Dover and Aug 10 home versus Bradford Park Avenue. We had some player news near the end of the month. Brian Mitchell decided to retire just before players were due to show up for training camp and 16 year of central defender Richard Richardson became the first player to graduate from the youth academy. Young retired soon after, leaving more gaps in midfield that would need to be filled. We kept the scouts out there, hoping they could find some decent free agents.

July arrived with little fanfare. The board was eagerly anticipating the new season, but they were still concerned about the finances. We had lost just over 900,000 pounds last season. Continued financial hemorrhaging like that will cause us to go bankrupt. Of course, the ideal solution would be to win the Conference and go into the League, but to do that, you have to have good players. To get good players, you either have to wait a few years for youngsters to develop or buy good players off the market., both of which costs money. So, it’s a Hobson’s choice, which is to say, no choice at all. We were just going to have to gut our way to the top. I finally started following the World Cup when the quarter-finals. England had made it that far, and the media, schoolyards and pubs were buzzing of nothing else. The mood turned from giddy to black in a heartbeat as Russia scored a goal in extra time to sink England’s ship 3-2. At least I could now ignore the WC if I so chose. Portugal ended Russia’s run with a 2-1 win in the semis. In a shock, Italy creamed Brazil 3-0 in the other semifinal matchup. Italy took that momentum into the final and they beat Portugal 2-0. The day after the WC final, Thornber came into my office and told me he was hanging up his boots. I wished him the best of luck, but the retirement meant that we only have one DC on the first team at the moment. I immediately started calling free agents both recommended and un-recommended. On July 21st, we signed 19 yr old Brian Taylor. His forte was tackling. He’ll be on the first team. Two days before the friendlies were set to begin; we had another player promoted from the academy. Barry Smart, a 16 yr old English/Jamaican forward, looked like he could become a serviceable player, if he ever got off his lazy ass.

The preseason schedule began on August 1 as we traveled to AFC Wimbledon for an afternoon match. The weather was cool and dry and a respectable crowd of 3600 showed up. The two sides battled to a draw in the fist half. Possession was 50/50 with the only difference between the teams being that AXFC had four chances to AFC’s none. The second half was all AXFC. I sent in a wave of subs on 54, shortly after Kirkwood blasted in a rebound to make the score 1-0. Ten minutes later, another wave of subs took the pitch and the new faces confused the team’s rhythm. Twenty minutes later, it coalesced in a drive up the pitch that saw a positive result as Law drilled a daisy-scorcher into the net to make the lead 2-0. Howard got the last word a minute before time expired when he took a half volley off an Asser cross and potted it to make the final 3-0 AXFC.

retired_karamelkel

After the game, the board met and said they remained delighted with my performance on the job, but remained concerned about the fiancés as we had just dropped another 75 grand. On the 4th, we hosted Nuneaton Borough at Yankee Stadium. It was a hot humid day by English standards. Perhaps that was why only 573 fans showed up to witness a dominating performance. Law nailed a skidder on 11 to give the home side the lead, 1-0. Moore answered for Nuneaton seven minutes later. The game slowed down then until the half hour mark when Wade nailed another skidding shot to regain the lead for AXFC, 2-1. The second half proved a battle as Nuneaton kept fighting. I sent in the first wave of subs on at 68. Nuneaton tied the game 2-2 on 75 when Night gale put a shot just beyond a diving Brook. More subs can in on the kick-off and the game looked to finish as a tightly contested draw, when two minutes to final time, Duffy put the ball into his own net to give the visitors the 3-2. I wasn’t worried about the home loss as these games were more for the players rather than the standings or the crowds.

On Monday, we signed 20 yr old Scot Jim Reilly. He would be in the mix for a first team regular DC spot. A good deal of the regulars were set already, particularly in midfield, but all of the defense were sighting for regular status, AMC was a battle as was one of the forward spots. So, for followers of the team, there was plenty of intrigue surrounding the selection of the team. On Wednesday afternoon, a warn day by English standards, we traveled to the Crabbe Athletic Ground to take on Dover. Only about 550 fans turned up to watch as the home team got thoroughly dominated in the first half. We only scored one goal, Todd on 12, a header off a James Jones corner that gave AXFC the 1-0 lead. We didn’t take many shots after that, but we held the edge on possession and were constantly in the Dover area, putting pressure on them. Dover picked up the pace in the second half, getting a few chances and finally getting a goal on 80 when Collier blasted a ball into the top corner that leveled the game 1-1. I had sent in my wave of subs at the 75 mark. We had one more friendly to play, a home game against Bradford Park Avenue, and then would have a week off before starting the Conference season. A day before the BPA game, my youth scout called to tell me of a 17 yr old Irish kid with skills. If signed, and we offered him a contract pronto, he would be the starting right back. Yes, he was that good. Much like Moran, it seemed we had a knack for finding under the radar Irish youngsters. The Saturday afternoon at Yankee Stadium was a hot breezy affair. Only 280 souls felt like turning out for the contest, which was pretty much over from the beginning. Howard drilled a shot on 2 to give us the 1-0 lead. We coasted from there, preventing BPA from doing any damage. BPA got with it in the second half and began playing with more cohesiveness. Holmes tied the game on 50 with a nifty strike. I sent in the subs at 71 and they put some life into the team, enough to give Kirkwood a chance to score on 83 to give us the 2-1 win. With the friendlies over, it was time to crunch the data and set the first team regulars for the first half of the Conference season. We had a week to do this before traveling to Burton Albion for the season opener.

retired_karamelkel

The biggest consequence of the fist team shakeup was that I put Gordon on the transfer-list since he hadn’t beaten Kirkwood out for the starting forward slot. Gordon drew immediate interest from a number of teams, and I felt that we could get a 100G for him. The Wednesday before the Conference season opener I posted the first team regulars list. Only a few positions had been u for grabs, but there was a small current of grumbling nevertheless. Few athletes, unless they are old duffers eking out a paycheck, or who are strictly specialists, detest sitting on the bench. This is normal and competition for spots keeps players on their toes. So I ignored the griping, there are no Chesterfan2’s in this reality and if there was, he’d be shown the door. The squad was as followed:

GK:
John Browne
Robert Brook

DL:
Jeremy Chandler
Neil Durkin

DR:
Gary Kavanagh
James Jones

DC:
Glen Fuff
Brian Taylor
Paul Dodds
Jim Reilly

LMC:
James Asser
Clark Fennelly

CMC:
Moses Apilinga
Shuvo Fatid

RMC:
Chris Duffy

AMC:
Glen Wade
Sean Moran

FC:
John Howard
Glen Kirkwood
Gareth Law
Chris Gordon

retired_karamelkel

It's hard to belive that I've been posting this story for exactly two months. I think this might be the longest running story I've ever done timewise.



Saturday afternoon at Eton Park was a hot and windy affair. All the regulars were out there in force, eager to get the new campaign underway. Just over 4000 fans were to provide the most important part of opening day. We often forget that it is the ubiquitous fan that is the most integral part of the sports world. Without their money and patronage, there would be no professional sports.

Burton Albion had several chances in the opening half, but managed to get only one on target. For our part, we showed no cohesion whatsoever. Any positives we garnered from the friendlies were quickly lost in this plodding half. We had no attack of any kind, and to add injury to insult, forty minutes in, Taylor pulled up lame and was replaced by Dodds. At the break, the score was still 0-0. Our offense was more effective in the second half as we landed a few shots, but none of them for goals. Our defense was doing a superb job, forcing turnover after turnover, but we couldn’t turn them into opportunities. With sixty three minutes gone I pulled Kirkwood for Law, hoping that the change would spark the offense. It didn’t happen, and with a flurry of activity late in the game coming to naught for each team, the game ended a scoreless draw. We had a quick turnaround, however, a home game on the following Tuesday evening against Exeter.

On Sunday morning, as I walked into the office, the trainer gave me the news. Taylor would be out for three weeks with strained knee ligaments. That’s never an easy injury to deal with, but especially not for a young player this early in the season. There was the chance that he would try to come back too soon and injure some other part of his anatomy as he compensated for the original ailment. I wondered if this was just a freak injury, or whether it was the start of a downhill slide. Only time would tell. We made offers to a couple of players to join the club, 31 year old right back Dave German and young forward Bob Shaw, who had great finishing. We were certainly keeping busy early in the season.

Tuesday August 20 arrived quickly. Since this was the home opener, all of the regular eleven got the nod despite a number of them being unfit. Dodd took Taylor’s place in the lineup. The evening was dry and only slightly cooled off from the heat of summer. Just over 2000 fans crowded into Yankee Stadium. They saw a rather disappointing first half.

Exeter jumped out quickly and opening accounts on 4 when Devine broke free and nailed a shot past Browne to give the visitors the 1-0 lead. We spent the rest of the half trying to catch up. We got a couple of good chances, but the Exeter keeper, Johnston, was having a good game. We had the edge in possession, but we couldn’t do anything with it. It was a frustrated, angry team that met in the dressing room at the half. On 48, that anger boiled over as Wade smashed a rebound back by Johnston to make the game a 1-1 tie. We continued to pile chance after chance, and all were good, we shot 6-7 for the game. Johnston refused to crack however and on 85, I made my roll of the dice. I pulled Apilinga, who wasn’t playing well, for Fennelly. Howard and Duffy, who were fatigued, came out in favor of Law and Moran respectively. With time running out, Exeter launched a last minute effort to bag a goal. As I watched in disbelief, with one minute remaining, Scarlett drove the ball past a stunned Browne to give Exeter the 2-1 victory.

retired_karamelkel

We did some reserve pruning, releasing a few guys that weren’t ever going to get a first team look. That would open the door for a few more academy grads, or more useful players. Shaw joined us on Saturday morning before we traveled to Scarborough.

Saturday afternoon at Scarborough the weather was dry and ideal, reasonably warm. Most of the regulars were given the nod except for Apilinga, who was replaced by Fatid. I was really hoping that we could pull ourselves together for this game. Just over a 1,000 fans turned out for the contest.

As had happened, last game, our opponent struck quickly just two minutes in. Pounder crossed in to Whitman, who blistered it past Browne for the 1-0 Scarborough lead. Scarborough continued to put pressure on us throughout the rest of the half, which limited our offense. They were dominating the possession game and they were getting plenty of good shots. Fortunately Browne had settled down and he began to play with more confidence. We were having trouble creating chances for ourselves, but just after the half-hour mark, Wade took a ball headed down by Kirkwood, found he open, and blasted the shot through to tie the game 1-1. At the half, the trainer informed me that Duffy probably had a shin injury, so I sent in Moran for the second half. Scarborough continued to pepper us with off-target shots. We hung in there, trying to find some spark. Chandler pulled up lame ten minutes into the half. He was replaced by Durkin. We tenaciously hung to hold onto the draw until 77, Fatid was part of the free-kick wall, Quayle’s shot deflected off the young Scot and into the goal to give Scarborough the 2-1 wins. Near the end of the game, I pulled a struggling Dodds for Fennelly. Chandler would be out for about a week and a half with a gashed leg. Our next game was in four days on Wednesday evening at Yankee Stadium against Barnet. We were stuck in 19th place in the Conference and we really needed to get it going.

31 yr old right back Dave German joined us on Monday, which meant he became the starter at right back, with Kavanagh the backup and Jones returned to the reserves. With more players coming in, a few of the reservists found themselves released.

retired_karamelkel

Wednesday evening in London was hot and steamy. It had rained over the last couple of days and the Yankee Stadium grounds were wet and damp. The defense saw some new faces in the lineup. German took over at right back as the new regular, Durkin took over for the injured Chandler and Fennelly took over at center defense for the struggling Dodds. The rest of the regulars got the start. Just over 3400 fans turned up for this London derby.

Both teams couldn’t hit the broad side of the proverbial barn. Barnet had six shots landing one. We had four chances landing two. Both teams were attacking well, just couldn’t get around the other’s defense. As such, by the time the half arrived, the game remained scoreless at 0-0. Apilinga looked like he had a potential shin injury and was replaced by Fatid. The dearth of good shots continued as Barnet peppered shots at us. We peppered right back, but neither team did any damage. On 60 I sent in Gordon for Howard to try to spark the offense. We continued to play uninspired ball so on 75, I sent in Moran for Wade. It looked to be a draw and I wasn’t going to complain about that. Then, in injury time, Stevens volleyed a low shot past Browne to give Barnet the 1-0 win. We had one more game in August on the 31st against Morecambe at Christie Park. We had three days to prepare for the contest and we would need them badly.

Saturday afternoon on the last day of August was not a bad day for football. The temperature was in the 70’s and the pitch was dry. Several of the regulars got the day off. Kavanagh played at right back, Fennelly got the nod at LMC, and Moran at RMC. Still filling in for the injured Chandler was Durkin. Perhaps this mixed lineup would see us through to a win. We certainly couldn’t get much worse. Only about 900 fans showed up for the contest. They saw yet another game of misfiring offenses.

Both sides had plenty of chances in the first half. The two teams went up and down the pitch and consistently misfired. Our defense was doing a creditable job, but our offense was failing to rise to the occasion. Morecambe’s Morrison managed to slip a shot past Browne at the end of the first half to give the home side a 1-0 lead. At the break I told my lads to start attacking. I also removed Howard because it seemed that he could have a possible groin injury. Gordon would take his place for the second half. Our attacking woke up our offense, but our disregard for defense helped out Morecambe. Both teams raced up and down the pitch, hammering shots at goal. I sent in Fatid for Moran on 60 and Duffy for an overmatched Wade eight minutes later. Ten minutes after that, Kavanagh put in a low cross to the box that Kirkwood guided into the net to tie the game 1-1. The score remained that way till the final. At least we’d gotten a point and would have something to look forward to for September

retired_karamelkel

Our league campaign got an early start in September on Monday evening, the 2nd. We faced Conference newcomers Canvey Island, who were sitting 5th in the league. Yankee Stadium was cool and dry. In fact, it was the first cool match day of the year and the air felt good on my arms as I walked the sideline while my players warmed up. Most of the regulars got the start, but there were a few lineup changes. Chandler and Taylor were still out with injury and were replaced by Fennelly and Dodds respectively. Fatid took over at CMC for an unfit Apilinga, Moran replaced an ineffective Wade and Gordon got the nod instead of Kirkwood. Just over 2300 loyal AXFC supporter filled the stadium, desperately hoping that their side could do something.

For nearly a half, the game resembled our first five games. Both teams got their chances, but good work by the goalkeepers on both sides kept the scoreboard empty. We were showing more harmony on offense though and it was just a matter of time now before our engine would start to fire on all cylinders. Finally, on 388, Howard collected a loose ball off an inaccurate Fatid pass and blew it by Newell to end his scoring drought and give AXFC the 1-0 lead. The crowd went nuts as Howard let loose a primal scream of joy. The halftime horn sounded a few minutes later, but we went to the changing room feeling positive for the first time all season. Unfortunately, both Howard and Fatid had to be lifted before the second half as both looked pretty injured, and there was no need for them to gut it out. Law and Apilinga took their places. Canvey tried to get back in the game, but all of a sudden, we were playing inspired ball. On 57, Fuff took the ball off a free-kick by German and potted it smoothly to give us a commanding 2-0 lead. We coasted from there, reveling with our fans over our first win of the season. The board had been vindicated over their decision to remain happy about my performance. Now we just needed to carry our new-found momentum into the away match at Accrington on Saturday September 7.

The week leading up to our next match was uneventful. One of my scouts had completed a youth sweep and was now assigned to the England beat. Defenders Chandler and Reilly resumed full training, meaning I should have a fit first team for the Accrington match. Saturday afternoon at the Crown Ground was a humid rainy affair. The pitch was not in good shape, conditions which would favor Accrington. On the plus side, all the regulars but Taylor (replaced by Dodds) got the starting nod. We hoped to extend our winning streak to two games. Close to 1900 fans showed up for the contest.

We started things less than five minutes in, when Howard blasted in a shot off of a German header to give AXFC the 1-0 lead. As the team’s re-started action, Fuff limped off and was replaced by Durkin. We continued to play well and on 18, Wade took control of a loose ball and put it in to give AXFC the 2-0 lead. That would be the last time we even had a shot in the first half. Accrington swiftly took control of the game. They refused to quit and it paid off for them on 28 when Robinson put a shot past Browne to pull the home side within one, 2-1. Browne’s day worsened four minutes later when he allowed a soft goal to Williams which let Accrington draw level at 2-2 to make it a brand-new ballgame. Apart from the goals, the vast majority of the match was spent slogging around the sodden midfield. That kept the score tied as the first half ended. Things didn’t change much in the second half. Accrington were determined to keep the draw and kept the ball in midfield. Browne shook off the first half and played competently throughout the second half to hold up our end of things. Moran and Fennelly, who came on for Asser and Duffy at 70 were unable to break the deadlock, but we happily took the single point from the 2-2 tie. We now sat in 20th place, the top spot in the relegation zone, but our form was improving. Our next game was a home game against Halesowen Tuesday evening next.

retired_karamelkel

The Halesowen match arrived quickly. Conditions at Yankee Stadium that evening were wet and damp. I could almost visualize the mold growing on the concrete. A few changes were made to the usual starting eleven. Brook drew the start in goal, Kavanagh at right back, Reilly at center back for the injured Fuff and Fatid, were the changes to the lineup. 1401 fans came out hoping that we could continue to amass points.

The only excitement in the first half was occasioned eighteen minutes in when the Halesowen keeper Spittle(love that name) was sent off for handling the ball outside his area. Personally, I thought it was a bad call, but I wouldn’t argue with a break that came our way. As expected, a man down, Halesowen started to play defensively. For our part, we wasted several chances and were unable to take advantage of the situation. We were able to control possession, but Halesowen kept clogging up the scoring lanes. At the half, I subbed in Durkin for Chandler. We poured pressure on the Halesowen side the entire second half, shooting 7 of 9 for the last 45 minutes. They somehow held up well, backup goalie Wilkins put on a bravura show, earning the MOM, despite cracking on 64, when Howard gathered a throw-in and buried it to give AXFC the 1-0 win. At that point, I subbed in Fennelly for Fatid and Moran for Wade. They helped keep us fresh for the remaining half-hour as we consolidated the win by constantly attacking. The win vaulted us seven places to 13th, heading into the weekend fixture at Tamworth.

In the run-up to the Tamworth game Taylor resumed full training. That meant my regular eleven would be fit for the game. Saturday afternoon conditions at Tamworth were ideal. The pitch was dry and the temperature quite comfortable. All but two of the regulars were penciled in on the lineup card. The exceptions were Fuff, who was still nursing his injury, and who was replaced by Reilly and Asser who simply needed a game off and was replaced by Fennelly. 2300 watched their home side pull off a nice defensive effort in the first half.

Tamworth came out determined to shut us down. They succeeded, keeping control of the ball at midfield for most of the half. We had a few shots, but nothing that caused the Tamworth supporters any suspense. Tamworth took an occasional shot at Browne and even scored a goal late, only to see ruled invalid due to being offside. By the half, the score was still 0-0. I told my lads to start attacking in the second half. Apilinga came in limping slightly, so Fatid replaced him for the second half. The second half was frustrating for AXFC. We got plenty of shots, but most were off-target and Tamworth defense was excellent. At the hour mark I sent in Moran for Duffy to see if fresh legs would change anything. It didn’t as neither side yielded. Five minutes to the end, I brought in Law for Kirkwood. In injury-time, Taylor was ejected for a goal-saving knockdown of One. The game ended shortly after that, still a scoreless draw. We had a whole week off before having to face Stevenage at home next Saturday afternoon, the 21st of September.

The FA was generous. They only suspended Taylor for one game. I decided not to appeal, figuring one game was nothing. Near the end of the week, we released a couple of reserve forwards who weren’t going to make it anytime soon.